Product packaging is an integral part of any product and has many functions that are important to the life cycle of the product—from manufacturing to sale/use by the consumer. One such important function involves protecting the product from damage, contamination and tampering. Another important function is to contain the product in a defined package to keep the product elements and literature together in one minimized container. Moreover, for some products the packaging may be essential in protecting the product during shipping and storage, where packages that are easily stackable and/or water-proof allow for easier and cheaper transport and storage. Additionally, product packaging is now used extensively for sales and promotion of the product. Thus manufacturers are relying more and more on the packaging to attract attention while drawing in and making a favorable impression to potential consumers. As such, the way a product is packaged can have a huge impact on the sale of the product.
In fact, research has shown that most consumers are willing to pay more for the appearance and prestige of a product that has a better or more elegant packaging (i.e. ‘high end’ product) than for a product that has a more generic or plain packaging (i.e. low end′ product). Accordingly, a product package should be robust enough to protect the product and display the brand, yet attractive enough to capture the interest of the potential buyer. Unfortunately, however most product packaging focuses on either the transportation of the product, the storage of the product or communication of product information about the product. As such, these product packages are less aesthetically pleasing, generically shaped and/or so ‘busy’ with information that the potential buyer has difficulty determining what they are actually buying. This is undesirable because it has a direct negative effect on the sales of the product.